A dying scientist based at a remote arctic research centre needs to warn a satellite’s crew members not to return to Earth due to a mysterious cataclysmic disaster.
People have sent me a lot of negativity about it, similar to Ad Astra (2019). I’m not saying that that was a perfect film, but it wasn’t as bad as they made it to be. How about this one, then? Is it worth your time?
Producer/actor/director George Clooney has put his heart and soul into it. He might not be appearing enough lately – his last feature film was Money Monster (2016) – but in front of the camera, he is as great as the meticulous behind it. Suspense’s favourite narrative technique is “delay of resolution”. The journey of Augustine and Iris to the weather station will make your heart skip a lot more than a beat, as will the meteor shower sequence in space. Extra credits go to the sinking container scene. Both the journey on Earth but also in space go through various tribulations, and the dramatic parts in between will give you the time to bond with the characters. Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir, Tiffany Boone, and introducing Caoilinn Springall give amazing performances and enhance both the drama and the suspense.
But I believe the film’s strongest suit is its narrative structure, where the fabula and the syuzhet are organised in such a manner that reveals only what you need to know when you need to know it. Keep postponing what you want to know. What happened will not be revealed to you that easily, and you will need to read between the lines. The levels of knowledge vary throughout the film. You don’t know exactly what Augustine knows, but you still know much more than the crew.
On the other hand, you know almost everything happening on the satellite. When Augustine knows nothing, you know as much as they do regarding global disasters. No matter what, the narration remains restricted at all times, and you are not the omniscient spectator you would like to be.
After most of it is said and done, it all comes down to your expectations prior to hitting ‘play’. It is not an action film. It is a cosmic journey to finding a place to start anew and an esoteric journey to remorse, redemption, and our deepest regrets. Yet, people found the ending unfulfilling.
It is not the ending that is unfulfilling. It is the connection with ourselves and, consequently, the connection with the people we love, and they love us back.
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Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!
Stay safe!
